Improvement in nail-plate-feeding mechanisms



0. ELUS. Nail-Plate Feeding-Mechanism.

No. 202,425. Patented April 16, 1878.

C Pian- ILPETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGAPNER. WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ELLIS, OF BOSTON, MASS., ASSIGNOR TO GLOBE NAIL COMPANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN NAIL-PLATE-FEEDING MECHANISMS.

Specification forming'part of Letters Patent No. 202,425, dated April16, 1878; application led January 11, 1878.

ally from twelve to twenty feet in length, and

somewhat wider than the length of the nails, there being at each edge ofthe plate a rib to form the heads of the nails. This long strip has tobe fed automatically to the punches, be fed just so far at each step,and be kept down straight. In this invention the strip,

held at its rear end, is fed forward by an intert mittingly-operatedcarriage provided with a clamp, the former being actuated by areciprocating rack or gear. Holding devices retain the plate down uponthe bed, and during the forward movement of the carriage the holdersturn from above the plate and permit the carriage and jaws to passforward until the plate is cut up quite to the jaws.

Figure 1 represents in side elevation sutilcient of a nail-plate-feedingdevice to illustrate my invention; Fig. 2, a top view thereof 5 Fig. 3,a section on the line 2 2 5 and Fig. 4 a section on the line 3 3.

The bed a, upon which rests the nail-plate b, is shaped preferably asshown in cross-section, Fig. 4, to receive and guide the carriage c,provided with the clamp d, shown, in this instance of my invention, as apair of jaws, one of which is pivoted at e to the carriage. The jaws areclosed upon the plate b by a nut, f, on a screw-stud, 4, connected withone and extended through the other jaw, and are opened by a spring, 5.

Abearing, g, on the carriage holds a stud, h, upon which is placed aratchet and pinion, z', having ratchet-teeth 6 and gear-teeth 7. Thegear-teeth are engaged by the teeth of a rack, k, which, connected atlwith some reciprocating or moving art of the punch, (not shown,) isreciprocated longitudinally after each operation of the punch.

The ratchetteeth 6 are engaged by a pawl,

m, pressed into engagement therewith by a spring, n. As the rack movesin the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the ratchet and pinion 'i move,in the direction of the arrow 7, about v the stud h,- but when the rackmoves in the opposite direction the pawl m, then engaging and holdingthe ratchet and pinion i fast, the carriage and clamp are moved forwardwith the rack a distance determined by the size of the ratchet-teeth 6,the ratchet-pinion being changed from time to time, according to thesize of the nail being cut.

The carriage will be provided with a suitable friction device to preventits moving on the bed except when actuated positively by the rack.

The holders p q, to keep the nail-plate down upon thebed a, are, in thisinstance, made as arms projecting from shafts 8, at the lower ends ofwhich are notched plates r, against which bear springs s. When thecarriage and nailplate are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the .arms ofboth holders p q should extend over the plate, as shown by arm p, tokeep the plate from bending upward from the bed when bcing pushedforward; but when the carriage approaches each arm the end of the clampd first strikes the end of the arm, swinging it away from above thenailplate, and then the carriage pushes it farther away, into theposition shown by holder q, leaving the carriage free to pass theholders one by one. The spring s is not sufficiently powerful to holdthe shaft S and arm against the action of the jaw and carriage. Afterthe carriage or clamp has presented the nail-plate to the punch quite upto the outer end of the plate, it is necessary to move the carriagebackward to its original position, to again receive and feed forwardanother plate.

To do this the pawl m is drawn out by the hand-lever t until a latch, u,engages a notch in the pawl and holds it out of engagement with theratchet-teeth 6, so that the carriage can be shoved backward by hand,the ratchet and pinion then turning freely.

In practice, the motion of the rack is automatically stopped just beforethe clamp reaches the punch, and the carriage is started by a lever backjust far enough to insure that the punch shall not strike the clamp.

The short reciprocations of the rack move the carriage forwardintermittingly. rIhe groove a2 in the bed receives and guides the clampd, and permits the nail-plate to bear smoothly from end to end on thebed a.

I claim- 1. In a nail-plate-feeding mechanism, a carriage, a clamp tohold the nail-plate, a ratchet and connected pinion, a pawl to engagethe ratchet, a device to withdraw the pawl, and a reciprocating rack torotate the pinion intermittingly, they being combined to operatesubstantially as described. Y

2. The combination, with a carriage and clamp to move vthe nail-plateforward intermittingly, of holders to keep the nail-plate down upon. thebed, the holders being constructed to be automaticallbT turned asidefrom over the nail-plate for the passage of the carriage beyond them,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES ELLIS.

Witnesses: -Y

GWV. GREGORY,

.W. J. PRATT.

